Have you been feeling restless and itching for a move lately? Are you feeling stagnant in your current living situation and at a loss for what to do? Choosing to move - whether from one apartment to the next or to a new city completely-is not an easy decision, nor is it an activity likened by many people. Still, often it’s a necessary part of transitioning through different stages of life.
Entertaining the idea of moving and juggling many variables on whether to relocate can be very stressful, but sometimes choosing not to move from a less than satisfactory living situation can be even more stressful in the long run. It’s crucial to weigh out all your options to ensure that you make the correct choice. The unknown can be daunting, and that’s why it’s best to avoid making impulsive decisions based on sudden emotions. There are many reasons for why you would want to move- and the reasons can range from personal, social to financial factors.
But how do you know when it’s time to start the search for a new home? We have compiled a list of the most common reasons people choose to move and hopefully help you determine whether it is the right step. Here are some of the top indicative signs that you should put into consideration:
You need to cut down on expenses
Are your bills becoming increasingly stressful? Have you been laid off recently? Do you find yourself struggling to make ends meet?
Expenses are one of the most compelling reasons for relocation. Property prices, especially of Hong Kong property for sale, rise and drop all the time, and the economic fluctuations can have dire consequences if we don’t learn to tighten up our purse strings. There is no shame in cutting down your expenses and finding a more budget sensible home is crucial to financial stability.
It’s time for an upgrade
This is one of the greatest reasons to move. Life is going well and you deserve to treat yourself to a home upgrade. Have you been working your butt off to get that promotion? Has your business finally taken off to a point where you are financially comfortable? If so, it might be time to find the home of your dreams and give yourself the life you deserve. This is the kind of problem everyone wants so consider yourself blessed!
Rising rent
Has your landlord suddenly decided to up your rent? This happens all the time and there isn’t much we can do about it. Unless you are able and willing to meet their new bracket, it’s definitely time to pack up and go. The city is full of options and sometimes moving to a new place is the smartest move you can make.
You are butting heads with your landlord
You have followed our guidelines on “How To Develop A Good Relationship With Your Landlord”, but somehow it still isn’t working out. There are times when you have to call a spade a spade and remove yourself from toxic situations with no hope of improvement. If you have done everything in your power to no avail then a new property search headed by a more compliant landlord would make perfect sense.
Your family is growing
A growing family is one of the most practical reasons to move homes.
Has your relationship status changed? Maybe you have gone from living a carefree single life to making a move into coupledom. Are you planning on cohabitation or getting married to your significant other? Is your family of two growing bigger with the arrival of children? Do you wish to incorporate pets into your life and a tiny apartment just won’t cut it anymore? Are the kids transitioning into their teenage years and require more independent space of their own?
All of these are sound and valid reasons for wanting to move into a new place. We develop different needs and desires at different stages of our lives and finding the right housing fit is a fundamental part of that change. A sexy single bachelorette or bachelor pad in your twenties may no longer be conducive to the future of an expanding family, especially when babies come into the picture. Sometimes change isn’t comfortable but we need to adapt to whatever life throws at us with an open mind.
You are suffering from empty nest syndrome
Have your children taken off to build a life of their own and you find yourself feeling the heavy emptiness of a home that is now too big for just you and your husband? Are all the empty rooms starting to get covered in dust from not being used?
Having too much under-utilized space is a logical reason to downsize to a smaller home. Not only will you save a great deal on the financial front, a smaller home will feel less lonely and require significantly less time to clean and upkeep. A good rule of thumb to follow: aim to live in a home that is relative in size to the number of residents living in it. It should be more or less a balanced ratio.
Space is becoming a problem
Are you outgrowing your home in terms of storage space and starting to resemble a hoarder? Is it getting harder and harder to find room to store all of your belongings? Do you feel claustrophobic and frustrated all the time because your square footage seems to dwindle in size as each passing day goes by?
This is not surprising at all. As time goes on, we accumulate more and more stuff, and at some point we need to learn to let go of the old to welcome in the new. If you have already tried to declutter your home with no signs of improvement, then it’s worth taking a deeper look into a more suitable new space.
Things are falling apart
Are the furnishings in your home falling apart? Are the appliances breaking more often than they are functional? Is your to-do list getting exponentially longer? Do you find yourself in a constant state of distress trying to repair one thing after another? Has your life become total chaos?
Buildings aren't always maintained in tip-top shape and when you are spending more time fixing problems than you are living enjoyably - it’s probably time to start searching for a newer home of higher quality that requires less maintenance.
You are not happy with your property’s management
You love your building but you just cannot accept the property’s poor management style no matter how hard you try. If you have done everything within your means to resolve issues with management and nothing seems to be improving, then chances are they won’t ever until a new team is put into place.
Your location has become inconvenient
Are you living too far away from family and friends? Does your social circle reside in a different neighborhood? Have you been relocated to a different area for work? Do the children’s schools require your housing to be in specified districts?
It makes logical sense to set up your home in a location that is convenient for you and your family. Commuting back and forth is a huge waste of time and money. Unless you are living further out due to financial reasons, it’s always better to be close to your work and social life.
You are seeking change
Are you sick of frequenting the same neighborhood joints day-in-and-day-out? Do you feel uninspired, drained and disinterested in your surroundings?
Boredom is inevitable when you live in one place for too long. Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side, but you won’t know until you take a leap of faith and try something different.
Your neighborhood is changing
Is your neighborhood going under rapid change that you just can’t come to terms with? Different districts will undergo change for whatever reasons, but if you don’t like the direction that it is moving towards then a move might be unavoidable. Maybe your neighborhood has suddenly become very dog-unfriendly, in which case you should definitely move if your life is focused around dog-friendly activities.
You have been considering a move for some time
You didn’t just wake up one morning and decide that you wanted to move. Moving is a commitment and should be considered seriously. If the thought has been an unresolved question for some time, you should dig deep and figure out what the best thing to do is for you. Take time to weigh out your options with a sound mind.
Clear the mind-fog by writing down a list of pros and cons; the likes and dislikes you have in your current living situation - it will help you make a much better informed decision.
You just aren’t happy anymore
You can’t put the finger on it but something just doesn’t quite feel right. When in doubt, go with your gut intuitions. If your heart keeps urging you that it’s time to move, it’s most likely doing so for a reason. Now before you search residential properties or do a real estate agent search, know you don’t have to make the decision right away, so stop stressing and put your thoughts aside for a while. Don’t make any rash decisions and sleep on it. You can always revisit the topic at a later time.